International storytellers weave their magic for children in Cayman schools

Dr Arlene Carter Pounds with students from Savannah Primary School.

Ms. Jordana Awe assists Ms. Gloria Teles Pushker with telling a story.

Thursday, November 27, 2003

International storytellers, Dr Arlene Carter Pounds and Gloria Teles Pushker enhanced National Education Week recently by sharing their popular poems and short stories with school students.

Dr Pounds’ books include, Cracking Walnuts & Other Goodies, Tucked In Real Tight, and Between Nighttime Dreams: A Mama-Daughter Journey. She is currently working on a workbook for classroom teachers geared towards enhancing writing skills entitled Just Right: A Poetry Pizzazz Plus! Writing Project.

Dr Pounds, aka The Sugar Lady, is the founder of Poetry Pizazz, a demonstrative and informative reading-centred programme in which poetry is explored through dramatisations, recitations, and rhythmic interpretations. She earned her doctorate in reading education from the University of Virginia and she has worked as an assistant professor in the reading department of James Madison University.

Inspired by famous author/poet Maya Angelou, Dr Pounds decided that she wanted to travel to different schools and share her stories and poems with children throughout the world.

Her enthusiastic presentations are designed to encourage movement, thinking and creativity in the students. Commenting on her visit to the Cayman Islands she said: “I am happy to be here and to be able to share my stories with the children.”

Gloria Teles Pushker is a popular children’s author who has written several books on the Jewish faith including, Toby Belfer Never Had A Christmas Tree, A Belfer Bar Mitzvah and Toby Belfer’s Seder: A Passover Story.

She received her Master’s degree in education with a concentration in children’s literature from the University of New Orleans. She also teaches children’s literature at Loyola and Xavier University in New Orleans.

Ms Pushker has made several appearances at schools, libraries, synagogues, and churches, bringing her costumes and characters to life in the classroom to promote multicultural understanding.

She is also a member of the National Storytelling Association and the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education.

This is her second trip to Cayman and she said: “ I really enjoy visiting Cayman, everyone has been very friendly and hospitable. “The feedback from the students has also been very positive and I hope to make more visits in the future.”

One of the highlights of her presentations occurred during a visit to Red Bay Primary School when she met with one of her former students, Jordana Awe, who is now the school’s librarian and special needs co-ordinator.

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